Break Silence: The Last Black Man in San Francisco

The Last Black Man in San Francisco 
A Motion Picture

Break Silence
Demetria Gigante

October 22, 2019

Did you know that less than 3% of the city of San Francisco is Black? As a part of that 3% that fills out the census, when I see the double decker buses in the Tenderloin (red light district), I wonder what the riders are thinking, “Is this where the Last Black Man in San Francisco lives?”

What went wrong? Why are half the homeless population African Americans who were born in San Francisco? Did our San Francisco Public School system fail us? Did our public housing system fail us? I believe that San Francisco residents who were born here deserve preference on ALL San Francisco housing.

And that 3% population may fall even more. Fentanyl (a highly-addictive illegal drug) is killing more African Americans – San Francisco General Hospital has reported that the majority of deaths from this kind of overdose are Black.

Don’t forget about the often witnessed black-on-black murders that are rarely solved because we allow our youth to use the community for target practice. Do you think that may have something to do with it? And we wonder why the smart ones move away. If we continue, there will be less than 3%.

We must BREAK SILENCE on the disproportionate impacts of housing costs, drug addiction, and violence felt by the Black community. We must understand what gentrification and redevelopment have done to our Black community. And what can we do about it? Let’s take accountability to make sure that our Black Lives Matter as native San Franciscans.

By Demetria Gigante

Click here to view the trailer for The Last Black Man in San Francisco

Brief Review of "Brooklyn"

Full of wit, humor and heart -- this novel clearly captures the struggle of an immigrant woman trying to fit into American society.

--David

David is a long-time member of Project Read's Wednesday Night Readers book club. Each month after we've discussed the book, David turns in his personal review. They are all similar to this, well thought out, insightful, and well-written.

Break Silence #9: Love Languages

Did you know that our love language is learned or created as a child? Even as a baby. The way you were nurtured, or not, has so much to do with how you share and communicate love. I’ve always had a difficult time understanding and differentiating between being in love, being told I was loved, and making love. The “touch” language is even more confusing because of childhood sexual abuse. We must Break Silence to love languages. A curriculum of some sort should be taught in schools. Our love language affects why and how we manage our love and family relationships, from healthy to unhealthy. Understanding our own truth can eliminate dysfunctional relationships: Less Baby Daddy and Baby Mama Drama!

We must Break Silence and take time to learn our love language to empower healthy and happy families. Suggested reading: The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman – check it out at the SF Public Library today!

 -- Demetria Gigante

• 

The Power of Lawrencia's Determination

    Growing up, you always had a mind of your own, you did not let other kids tell you what to do. Friends didn't persuade you in any way. You did things that were good for you. That is how I know you are strong, and only do things if you want to, not what other kids ask you to do.

    Coming to the U.S., we were all we had. You let me know that we can do things our self without relying on anyone to do it for us. We also had fun together sitting on the porch and looking at other kids go by, laughing and talking shit. That was fun for us! When it came to school, you encouraged me to do my homework on time and helped when I needed help.

    You have always been a strong person, but you took your strength to the next level when you started living by yourself. You were going to school, paying your own bills, and you didn't let money hold you back. Instead, you were motivated to finish school, and you did it!

    You are a nurse! You have a B.S. in Nursing, and you were determined to achieve your education. I am extremely proud of you. You motivate me to continue with my education.

-- Remi E.

Break Silence: Accessible Voting

     Did you know that there is a special accessible voting machine at the City Hall Voting Center to help people with reading and writing disabilities? As an adult literacy learner at the San Francisco Public Library, I will be using this machine. The accessible voting machine is available now and I will use it to vote by Election Day on November 6. With the accessible voting machine, there is no excuse not to vote! We must BREAK SILENCE on the trickery and the confusion on the ballot that comes with politics. This trickery and confusion may frustrate and impact the majority of our city's low income population. We must be mindful of things like ranked choice voting - the second choice is mandatory, if not, your vote will be voided. We must vote regardless, just to be counted and to show that OUR OWN LIVES MATTER.

Ms. D. Gigante

Breeak Silence: Invisible Disabilities

Did you know that some disabilities can be invisible? I’ve always had a learning disability, and now a mental health disability, while living in San Francisco public housing. We must Break Silence on Invisible Disabilities and not judge only with our eyes. I have been a victim of a violent crime and now I have been a victim of a non-violent crime: I’ve been discriminated against under the Americans with Disabilities Act. I’ve been underserved because I appear to look “good” and healthy. I wish I could be safe, healthy, and feel good inside instead of looking good on the outside. “I’m just a dressed up mess,” I always say! I’ve had to jump through hoops as I navigated through services and health providers like food banks and mental health providers as I pursued my journey to health and wellness. I had to advocate for myself, for my healing and wellbeing.

I plead to service providers and my community to take time to understand and be more compassionate of invisible disabilities. Let’s all get educated on the ADA laws and provide great service to all.

-- Ms. D. Gigante

Paratransit Frustration

     I use Paratransit because my legs give out unexpectedly due to spinal stenosis and I use a wheelchair. I also have diabetes and have to take medicine at prescribed times every day.
     Even though I schedule my rides one week in advance and ask for a time one to two hours before I need to arrive, they put me as an "add on". Sometimes, they send a car after I have told the dispatcher that I am in a wheelchair and need a van. I have been picked up late and left sitting outside without notice many times. For example, on August 29, 2018, I was scheduled to be picked up at home at 4 o'clock. After waiting, I called dispatch and they said I would have a one and a half hour wait due to traffic and a ballgame. I missed my scheduled appointment. On August 8, 2018, I was left stranded at Civic Center for two and a half hours. Finally, I took Muni home, which was very difficult in an electric wheelchair, and I missed my diabetes medication.
     This week, I had two conversations with a supervisor at Paratransit. On September 10th, he was very nice and understanding when I told him about my bad experiences with Paratransit. He said he would send me information about taxis for people with wheelchairs, On September 12th, I called him again when my ride was 45 minutes late. He provided me with three van taxi numbers. When I called them, one number was disconnected, one number went straight to voice mail, the third number answered and he said he would call back in 4 minutes. He called back two hours later and said he was sorry he forgot to call back. He was in the South Bay and unavailable to pick up.
     Several Paratransit drivers I know have quit because of poor management. They have specific complaints about someone in management. Most, but not all, of the people who take reservations are rude. Some are polite and compassionate, but that is very seldom.
     Something needs to be done at the 12th street office! I am crying out for help, for the mayor to look into this matter because we, as passengers, need service. I am not just asking for myself, but for people all over San Francisco to get to their appointments and home so they can get their medication. Paratransit has no conscience about their passengers and feels it's okay to provide bad service when it is not.

-- Theresa

Break Silence / End Hep C

       Something that I wanted to touch on is the fact that I am a Hepatitis C survivor. Did you know that 1/3 of those diagnosed with Hepatitis C are African-Americans when we only make up 6% of the population? After my diagnosis, I was worried, lost and at one of the lowest points of my life, and I was scared to seek treatment. I was feeling lousier by the day. Upon my diagnosis it was clear that it was the time to act, so I bit the bullet and never looked back. Since then I have attended several support groups and meetings with other people who have been cured, which has given me a new outlook on life. This lead me to do bigger and better things with the AIDS Foundation, the drug addicts union, and the needle exchange program in a way to help others any way that I can. What started as a concern has blossomed into a passion that I will continue to help others with. The way to keep what I have is to give it freely to others. As I continue to pay it forward, I hope others will continue to do the same. BREAKING SILENCE!
- Ms. D. Gigante

You Are Doing the Right Thing

    Without Project Read, my life would be nothing, that is true. I love Project Read and the people are nice. If I have a problem, they help me. It's a great blessing to be here. It's good for everybody to learn to read, to change their lives forever, to reach their goal, and to have a good life. That's a positive thing to do. I never thought I would write something like this.

    I am proud of being here at Project Read and I've learned a lot. It is a pleasure being here. I work with my phonics exercises. I check my email. I look at how to build Fuller truck transmissions. Back on the east coast, we build them on the table, but the one I saw online did it differently. The way they do it here is quicker. I saw how they did the timing. It was different than how I use to do it. I read about how to adjust valves on a Caterpillar engine. A Caterpillar engine is easier to adjust than a Cummings engine on a Mack truck. I learned how to rebuild truck rears from seeing it on a computer.
-- Eugene

Gouda

    

    A long time ago, two alley cats, Ruff and Tuff, lived in the alley behind the Cat Lady's house.
    One day, Ruff and Tuff were doing their usual cat scratching act, when they came across a bag with a ribbon tied around it. Ruff swiped at it, then Tuff grabbed it and into the Cat Lady's house they went. There were cats everywhere, cats were on the icebox, cats covered the furniture, cats laid on the shelves. An old tommy cat said, "What do you have there?" Ruff replied, "Well, it's a bag, so it must be a cat." That's when one of the cats said, "Let it out, let it out!"

    Ruff and Tuff both grabbed the ribbon and pulled, the bag came open and out came a fuzzy little furry creature. One of the cats shouted, "What an odd looking cat." The old tom replied, "When you were a baby, you looked different, too." Then one of the kittens asked, "Well, what does the card say?" "Gouda"

    Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. Years went by. Gouda loved his home, he liked taking cat naps, lapping saucers of milk, and chasing balls of yarn.
    One day, Ruff and Tuff ran by him and straight out the door. Gouda thought it was a game of tag, so out the door he went after them. He chased Tuff straight up a tree and out on a branch. Tuff leaped to the next tree and that's when Gouda froze.
    People walking by him started to gather. Gouda then heard firetrucks and saw flashing lights. Gouda was scared and started to howl.
    Gouda was happy when he saw a ladder coming towards him. The fireman brought him down the ladder. As soon as the man put him down, Gouda wagged his tail with relief and ran down the alley.
    When he turned the corner, Gouda was surprised to see a man with a big net. Gouda ran this way and that way trying to escape. He got caught anyway and was tossed in the back of a truck. First the tree, now the truck. When will he get back home to his saucer of milk?

    Gouda noticed that there were other creatures in the truck with him. It was odd that they looked more like him than his brothers back home, he thought.

    As he was thinking about this, the truck started to move. They knew they were off to the pound. One by one, the animals were loaded off the truck and into a giant cage. First went Snow, an 11-month-old energetic little girl, always trying to get other dogs to escape. Next it was Gouda's turn to go into the cage, followed by Tuck, an eleven-year-old dog, or better, for he did not want to move. Right then, Snow kept exciting all the animals which kept the man very busy trying to keep them all in the cage. He was so busy he forgot the gate was open. Out they went.

    Gouda ran side by side with his new friends, panting and wagging their tails. This is when it hit him, he was a dog! He instantly felt closer with his new brothers and knew they had to get away from the dog catcher. So, he brought his new friends as fast as he could down the alley and through the window to join Ruff and Tuff and all the other animals. Gouda was relieved to be home with his old and new brothers. He went over to drink a saucer of milk.

    To this day, people still talk about all the odd cats at the Cat Lady's house.

The End.

-- Russell

Project Read Authors at SFMOMA

Theresa, Eugene, Demetria, Russell & Claudia

Project Read Authors' Night San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Break Silence 4B

Why, when I called 911 when my friends and I were victims of another drive-by shooting in public housing, did I have enough time to speak to two family members and an SFPD officer who happened to be a long-time family friend? And there were no sirens. Why was there such a lack of urgency? More than 30 minutes is unacceptable when you’re only three blocks away. Are we less important because we are not homeowners or paying market rent? It sure seems like it. If SFPD didn’t care about all those black lives lost, why would they care about my blue and green bikes that were stolen on camera? I guess we live on the wrong side of the tracks. We must break silence about the lack of compassion and urgency in SF public housing. We must care about our own black lives to protect and serve our community better by becoming the next generation of SFPD officers.

-Ms. D. Gigante

Artist Statement by Demetria Gigante

Break Silence

Artist Statement by Demetria Gigante

I’m inspired to make art to share my experiences with others. My writing is art because I struggle with a learning disabilities and mental health. My blogs and this collage help me heal from my mental and learning disabilities.

Art has influenced my life because my blogs are my creative way to process my experiences of trauma. It is a healthy way to express my feelings and work on not holding them in. My blogs and collage give me a sense of accomplishment and a way to introduce mental help and literacy to my community.

Art has influenced my recovery from PTSD by understanding more about my mental health and how I feel about my experience with trauma. I know it is okay to have mental health issues and to seek help. With Behavioral Health Services, I will heal. This recovery encouraged me to work on my learning disabilities, too.

Living with PTSD is a work in progress. I started with isolation, self-medication and agoraphobia. These feelings and behaviors caused digressions in my career, life style, goals, parenting and struggles with self-sufficiency. After a recent trauma with another drive-by in my community, I sought help through the Victims of a Violent Crimes organization. They referred me to a great therapist that matched my mental health needs. Collaborating with Project Read, I began my creative journey writing my blog, Break Silence, and working with RAMS to make my collage. With these services, I’m becoming myself, engaging and sharing with others, and learning harm reduction skills. 

(Thank you to Project Read learner Demetria Gigante for sharing her artist statement. Her work will be displayed in the Works in Progress: Second Consumer Art Show at the San Francisco Main Library Atrium from October 1 through mid-December, 2017. There is a reception on Tuesday, October 3, from 4-5:30 pm (program at 4:30) in the Latino-Hispanic Meeting Room in the Lower Level of the Main Library. Information about the exhibition can be found citywide.ucsf.edu/art_show.)

Demetria with her collage at the art show reception.